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Joint Doctoral Degrees & Cotutelle

With academic environments and professional networks becoming increasingly connected across borders, doctoral students are looking with ever keener interest for means to internationalize their degrees. At the same time, Universität Hamburg seeks to strengthen international research while increasing its own international presence and furthering mobility. Excellent research can only flourish with new ideas and stimuli from the outside world. Universität Hamburg, therefore, offers its students a range of possibilities to conduct research abroad and build an international network while pursuing their doctorate. These possibilities consist primarily of joint doctoral degrees and research exchange opportunities explained below.

A joint doctoral degree allows a doctoral student to earn a jointly conferred degree at two (in some cases more) universities on the basis of a single academic contribution, i.e. the doctoral thesis, resulting from research conducted at both universities.

The doctoral students must be supervised by at least two supervisors with equal rights, one from each participating institution. While they are fully registered in two universities, they have to comply with all bureaucracy including admission requirements and time-consuming assessment regulations at both institutions. The doctoral students should strive to divide their time between the two universities equally (at least ⅓ of the doctorate should be spent at each of the partner institutions) and remain in close contact with both supervisors for the duration of their studies.

Structured program or individual agreement

Further details regarding both the doctoral studies and the administrative requirements depend on whether the candidates wish to pursue a degree at a university with which Universität Hamburg has a structured program for joint doctorates (planned for many students and necessiting a framework agreement and an individual agreement), or at another university where an individual agreement will need to be made individually for the doctoral student. The legislation of the institutions may not automatically permit an individual agreement.

Due to the high workload for everyone involved, applicants and supervisors are advised to carefully consider whether the added value of an individual joint doctoral degree agreement to their research matches the demands of the bureaucratic process.

Structured Joint Doctoral Degree Programs

Usually, the Universität Hamburg needs to negotiate a framework agreement and an individual, specific agreement for every joint doctoral degree. This creates the need for thorough planning, so please get in touch with your Graduate School and the Department of International Affairs as soon as possible. On rare occasions, the University or your Faculty may have a structured agreement with the international university already. Structured joint doctoral degree programs provide doctoral students with the benefits of a joint degree without many of the administrative difficulties. The ties built between the universities also allow a greater volume of academic cooperation and student support that benefits both the doctoral students and their respective supervisors.

Administrative Steps

Candidates contact the program officer at the Department of International Affairs, who will initiate the process in close collaboration with the doctoral studies office in the respective faculty.

Individual Joint Doctoral Degree/Cotutelle Agreements

Individual joint doctoral degree agreements offer a greater set of possible destinations but also come with a very demanding administrative process that will require engagement from both universities, the supervisors and the doctoral student.

Therefore it is advised that structured programs are recommended as a first choice for prospective doctoral students. Students and supervisors should consider the benefits of an individual agreement given the administrative drawbacks and the alternative options for internationalization, such as structured programs (see above) or research exchange options (see below). However, students with a proposal that would clearly benefit from prolonged engagement with researchers in a particular country or university should be encouraged to consider this option. Indeed, doctoral candidates with individual agreements are supported through the administrative process by Universität Hamburg every year.

There are different types of individual agreements but they all have in common that they are rather time-consuming to negotiate. Some universities, particularly in France, will prefer students to undertake a cotutelle de thèse rather than a joint doctoral degree. A cotutelle is a form of individual agreement that allows both universities to give separate assessments of the doctoral student and award separate degree certificates while still granting a single doctoral title. The Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences only allows joint doctoral degrees.

Administrative Steps

First, prospective doctoral students and their supervisors should contact the doctoral studies’ office of their faculty. The responsible officer will advise on and initiate the process towards an individual joint doctoral degree agreement.

Second, once the process has been initiated by the doctoral studies’ office, an officer of the Department of International Affairs will contact the doctoral candidate. As a basis for developing the agreement, the candidate must provide an information sheet, signed by the doctoral studies’ office of the relevant faculty.

Third, the Department of International Affairs coordinates in general the drafting process of the individual joint doctoral degree agreement with the partner institution and the relevant doctoral studies office at Universität Hamburg. After finalizing the agreement, the Department of International Affairs coordinates the signing process. The diploma is handed out by the doctoral studies' office.

Initial advising services and advice during the time of study are carried out by the doctoral studies' office and the Universität Hamburg supervisor.

After successful completion of the degree, the student and the doctoral studies’ office at Hamburg confirm successful completion to the Department of International Affairs. The doctoral studies' office contacts the Quality Assurance and Academic Reform Team (Department Studies and Teaching), that issue a draft diploma together with the Department of International Affairs.